Savory Scones with Pecorino and Black Pepper

by formerchef on February 22, 2011

People start collections for many reasons. For some it’s amusement, for others it’s hopes of future profit and for some it’s a full blown passion (cough <obsession> cough). But in most cases, people’s collections are a connection to something which speaks to them for a reason.

My collection is fairly small. Over the years I’ve acquired about two dozen antique kitchen utensils. My preference is specific only in that they must be old enough to have painted wood handles. Most are pre-1940’s which works well in my vintage kitchen. A few of the items I’ve purchased either in antique shops or thrift stores, but most have come from my grandparents who were avid antique collectors.

I’m not crazy-obsessed like some people; I don’t know their value, I don’t spend sleepless nights searching eBay or days combing swap meets and garage sales, I simply like them. Looking at them brings me joy. I imagine the hands which used them to the point where the paint started to fade and think about the meals made with them. I’ve been known to quiz people who come into my kitchen to see if they can tell me the use of some of the more unique items. And yes, sometimes I actually take them off the wall and use them. It would be a shame not to, don’t you think?

Tell me, what do you collect? Anything related to cooking? Do you use the items in your collection?

For the scone recipe below, I pulled down a small, but sharp, metal utensil which is typically used for cutting hard vegetables in a “crinkle cut” (this is a modern version of the crinkle cutter). I thought it would make the edges of the of the scones a bit more fun and easier to cut them into smaller portions. You can see it in the top right of the photo above. I have other items not seen here; special rolling pins for sugar cookies, one for making ravioli, and a couple dozen apothecary glass jars of various sizes in which I keep spices, herbs and grains.

The savory scones are wonderful accompaniment to soup or stew or just on their own as an afternoon snack. I served them in these bite sized versions at my Soup Swap Party as a break from all the sweets. The original recipe comes from one of my favorite food blogs and twitter friends, Chez Us. I’ve changed it up a bit, making some substitutions (see the recipe notes below).

Recipe Notes;The original recipe called for 3/4 cup buttermilk but since I don’t typically have that in my refrigerator, I substituted plain low fat yogurt and milk. I also increased the amount of pepper and switched out the Parmesan for the pecorino I had. Finally, while I made these smaller for a party, you certainly could follow the original recipe and make it into 8 scones.
This recipe is made in a Cuisinart/food processor, but if you don’t have one, you can do it in a bowl with a pastry cutter in the same way you would make biscuits or pie dough. Below, where I say “pulse” that means to turn on the processor in short bursts rather than to leave it running.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In the bowl of your food processor, put the flour, baking powder and salt. Put the lid on and pulse the processor a few times to mix the dry ingredients.

Cut the cold butter into small pieces and add into the bowl of the processor. Pulse again until the butter is combined into the flour and resembles a coarse meal.

Add the pecorino and black pepper and pulse a few times to combine.

Whisk together the yogurt and milk and add to the processor until the dough just begins to come together.

Remove from the bowl and lightly knead it together into a ball.

If you want to make mini scones, form the dough into a 3″x15″x1″ loaf. Using the crinkle cutter, cut the down into small triangles across the length of the loaf. If you want full sized scones, form it into a circle about 1″ high and cut into 8 pie shaped wedges.

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Really nice post. I collect cookbooks, not obsessively, just for fun and research. I do have a few antique cooking utensils that my mother found and gave to me. Like you, I like the way they look, and their history. (Love the look of your scones. )

Nice collection, and what a simple but pretty way to display them. I collect dishes. Many are passed down, handmade, and a few are bought. I didnt mean to, it just started with a red polka dot platter that I loved, then became pretty bowls to serve dip in, and went from there. My favorite is a big ceramic pasta bowl that my kids painted and put their handprints inside. We had it fired to seal, and I love seeing their tiny fingers anytime we use it. I love the stories behind each one, and the people they remind me of when I use them.

This would have been delicious if the recipe hadn’t incorrectly called for baking soda. They are horribly bitter & inedible. I looked at the original recipe that you used in creating this one & it totally calls for baking powder. Sad.

Deeba- I can’t even begin to tell you how much I want to travel to India. If you’ve seen my other blog, you’ll know I’m as passionate about travel as I am about food. Shops like that one in New Delhi are the type I always search out.

I have not tried the scones with cheddar but I don’t see why it would not work. I think I would grate the cheese fairly fine so that it incorporates into the dough, rather than leaving pockets with melted cheese. On second thought, that could be good, as long as you eat them when they are still warm.

What a wonderful post and such a great collection! as an art director/prop stylist for food shows and cookbooks my collection of all things food related grows by the day practically. The hard part is trying to keep it all organized and remembering to pull them when packing up a set so I am not left at home when I am cooking without a spatula or cooling rack!